H2 2025 Whitepaper: China's Disposable Hygiene Products Market Analysis

Key Finding 1

China's domestic online disposable hygiene market reached CN¥ 36.1 billion in January to August 2025, up 10.7% year on year, and the growth came from volume, with units up 16.8% to 780 million while average order value fell 9.1% to CN¥ 46.0.

Average order value reached its lowest point, CN¥ 38.6, in April 2025 and held at CN¥ 45 to 55 from May to August, which we believe may mark a price floor as brands rein in promotional spending. Adult diapers, at CN¥ 554 million, make up only 1.5% of the market, far below what China's ageing population would suggest.

Key Finding 2

Feminine hygiene pads grew 23.9% to CN¥ 12.88 billion, and the growth came from mid-priced products sold on safety, functional ingredients and ease of wear.

The CN¥ 20 to 60 price band rose from 33% to 38% of volume as the CN¥ 0 to 20 band slipped from 53.8% to 49.3%. Medical-grade and sterilisation-grade pads each passed CN¥ 1 billion in sales with growth above 100%, after the CCTV 315 Gala in March 2025 exposed refurbished sanitary pads and set off the category's busiest month of social discussion. Challenger brands such as Taotao Yangmian (淘淘氧棉), with sterilisation-grade pads, and Fuyanjie (妇炎洁), with its Snow Lotus Core Nourishing Pad, have built on this shift as discovery moves towards content-led and live commerce.

Key Finding 3

Online disposable hygiene sales in Southeast Asia reached about CN¥ 3.58 billion in January to July 2025, led by Indonesia at CN¥ 865 million, up 34.4%, and Vietnam at CN¥ 858 million, up 70.2%, the two priority markets for Chinese brands going abroad.

Overseas warehouses in the region tripled from 43 to 136 between 2020 and 2022, so Chinese brands can now deliver as fast as local incumbents. In Vietnam the CN¥ 200+ price band nearly doubled its share of baby diaper volume, from 2.9% to 5.6%, and we believe Chinese brands start with an advantage, because products made for China's domestic market already compete on a wider range of materials and designs than those now on sale in the region.